dopamine

So You Think You Have ADHD? But You Can't Find A Therapist. Here Are 5 Things to Do Right Now

Imagine if you didn't know if you were ADHD/ADD or whether you had a learning disability? That was me for 40 some-odd years. Now that I do know, I look back on my childhood, teen and young adult years and think, would it have been better if I had a label? The honest answer is, I don't know. I do know that I wasted a lot of time not working on myself. Just feeling lost. Don't make that mistake.

For every person waiting for an official diagnosis, who doesn't have it in writing, don't wait to start working on yourself.

A therapist or a coach can help, but you don't have to sit around listening to sad playlists until you finally get that appointment. Do these five things to the best of your ability ASAP:

Find some form of exercise you like and that will exhaust you. Yes, even if you don't like workouts or aren't great at sports. So what. I fall off of bikes. I look like Elaine from Seinfeld when I dance. I trip on hikes. I do it anyway because it makes me feel better. Recently I started swimming. You can find me in lane 6 (the slowest lane) and I often look like I need to be rescued. I get out of the pool smiling. Get a pet or borrow one. You need unconditional love. Even the people who do love you won't always understand you. Honestly, they may also be sick of talking to you about your issues. A dog is an attention-seeking, tail-wagging lovey that won't let you down. Mine sleeps on my head, barks in my and I swear, smiles at me in the park. Find a place to be in total silence. If your only time is in the shower or with noise-cancelling headphones, so be it. Make sure you get three 20-minute silent retreats a day. No compromises. I don't care if you have to sit on the toilet and stare at the side of the tub blankly while your toddler watches Disney to get some peace. Get away and get some headspace. Say yes to something. Yes! to a new salad dressing. Yes! to a walk with someone who you barely know to get a coffee. Yes! to a book club you might never show up to but that gets you to the library to check out a great read. Yes is a dopamine hit. Don't look back in anger. There are so many things to be pissed off about. That negativity can suck you in, though. Resolve to journal about what is making you mad. Tell a friend about your neighbor nightmare— and then let it go. LET THAT STUFF GO. Sure, it will keep coming back. But keep shoving the door closed and opening a positive one. How, Denise, how? It's not easy, I know. It is do-able. Without a therapist, I cut through my anger by listening to comedians. They say the stuff you know you want to and make you laugh about evil things. They redirect your brain to laughter. Laughter is dopamine. You need dopamine.

Good luck. Wear a helmet if you need to and definitely splurge on headphones. #dopamine #ADHD #laughter #Depression #Anxiety #Solutions #Lifehacks #ADHD advice

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It’s something we all strive for. How we get there is different for each individual. Some may buy a new sports car. For some (pictured) it’s buying a $200 bit of foam so they could sleep in the car at a festival.

I’ve always wondered how this little buzz or dose of dopamine to the brain can be felt by achieving something.

Some days I don’t feel like I’ve achieved a lot, but when I reflect on my season of depression there were days getting out of bed was all I could muster.

So this week I will celebrate this, I’m working part time and getting paid. That’s another step closer to paying off my mortgage. I’m paying my own way, saving my money and feeling good.

These things feel good, and I get a rush of dopamine to my brain just thinking about it.

What do you do to get your dopamine release?

I've lived with #Bipolar #BPD #Depression #ADHD my entire life.
I did not understand any of the labels, and no one explained them. So I studied these disorders, as well as the brain and how it all works, in order to know what was wrong with me.

Now that I'm qualified, and have a clear understanding of the workings of the #Bipolar /BPD/Depressed/ADHD brain, I Counsel people, knowing what it feels like to be #mentally ill, but mostly, I'm able to tell my clients what's going on in their #Bipolar /BPD/Depressed/ADHD brains.

IF my psychiatrist had only told me, what chemicals were working how and where, and what happens when #Mania   hits, or depression etc..the day he diagnosed me, my life and loved ones lives would've been very much better.

#Psychiatrist ! please explain your patients condition to them, in a way that'll help them understand the sudden drop in #dopamine or #seratonin or #endorphins ...explain what is going on inside of our heads please!
You cannot and should not give a #mental illness #Diagnosis , without a #why ? .
Understanding our conditions, is key to a happier, understandable life for all.

IF our loved ones, and WE, know, that #Bipolar #BPD #Depression #ADHD - etc 'tilt' (as I call it to my clients) - due to our chemicals being unbalanced, then, when we suddenly get really #Manic , our loved ones will understand what #Chemical . i.e. #dopamine   is filling our brains, and we are not in control of that.
IF we suddenly get #depressed , then we and our loved ones will know that our brains have had a sudden drop in #seratonin , or #dopamine or both - and that we are not just behaving badly.

To my mind, one of the most important factors needed to end the #Stigma  against #mental illness, is to EXPLAIN what one cannot see in the brain - i.e. our feel good, happy, needed, yet not functioning normally #chemicals .